Wire-line equalizer



H. L. CRULL Aug. 20, 1929.

WIRE LINE EQUALIZER Filed March 19, 1928 V INVENTOR. ro/o .Cru/l ATITOREYS.

Patented Aug. 20,1929.

UNITED STATES HAROLD L. ORULL, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

WIRE-LINE EQUALIZER.

Application filed March 19, 1928.

My invention relates to wire line couplings, and more particularly todevices of that character for connecting supporting ca bles to acounterweight, the principal objects of the invention being todistribute the weight equally to the several strands of the cable, andto adapt a coupling for spreading the strands to facilitate theequalization of the weight.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the coupling illustrating. itsapplication to a plurality of cables for supporting a counterweight. I

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the device showing therelation of the cable and counterweight connectors.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the coupling.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a fragmentary portion of a support frame such as may beused in connection with oil well pumpmg equipment for supporting acounterbalance mechanism including a sheave wheel 2 mounted adjacent theouter end of the support frame 1 and cables 3 which extend over andrearwardly from the sheave toward apparatus (not shown) whereby theapparatus, for example, pumping apparatus, may be counterbalanced in itsoperation. The illustration and description of the counterbalancemechanism are limited to those portions of conventional apparatus withwhich my invention is associated.

The downwardly extending portions of the cables are adapted to support acounterweight 4, and the cables and counterweight are connected by aspecial coupling member 5 embodying my invention.

The coupling member '5 is preferably of cast steel construction andcomprises a rectangular-shaped body plate 6 having a laterally extendingrounded boss 7 centrally positioned on one of the end edges thereof,

Serial No. 262,946.

and an elongated opening 8 centrally located in the plate extending fromthe boss to a point adjacent the opposite end of the plate. The openingis provided chiefly for reducing the weight of the member.

Spaced inwardly from the longitudinal edges of the body plate adjacentone end thereof and spaced by the opening 8, are upstanding guide ears9, each reenforced by spaced webs 10 extending outwardly from the outerfaces of the ears to the longitudinal edges of the body member. Theplate is provided with opposite aligned slots 11, each slot registeringwith the spacing between the web members that reenforce each ear, theslots extending from the edges of the plate to the outer faces of theears. Vertically elongated and doubly tapering openings 12 are providedin the ears, and the plate slots provide communication between theopenings 12 and com lementary guide means presently described Dependingfrom the bottom surface of the body 6 and aligned centrally with theears 9 is a transverse arcuate guide segment or boss 13 having aperipheral groove 14 providing a semi-circular seat 15, the ends of thegroove aligning with the slots 11 and openings 12 so that a singlestrand of cable 3 threaded through the openings 12 of the ears 9 mayextend through the slots 12 and lie in the groove 14, the taperingopenings, slots and groove forming a continuous passage and the membershaving said passage elements providing a seat of gradual curvature forseating the cable in an endless connection with the coupling member.

Formed on the portion of the body plate opposite the ears 9 areupstanding cable-receiving hook members 16 having side and endreenforcing ribs 17 and 18, the downturned arms 19 of the hooks beingspaced from the end edge of the body plate and having heads 20positioned adjacent the body plate. The heads 20 are provided withopenings 21 aligning with threaded openings 22 in the end of the bodyplate, aligned openings being adapted to receive cap screws wherebycables received by the hooks may b? fit S lll'ely retained thereon. Eachhook therefore receives a loop or bend of the cable, whereby two strandsof the cable serve to support each hook portion of the device.

Depending from the bottom of the body plate adjacent the longitudinaledges thereof and in a position between the ears 9 and hooks 16 suitablefor balancing the strains on the cables, are weight-supporting bracket-s23 having trunnions 24 protruding outwardly from their lower ends forconnection with the support arms 25 of the counterweight 4. Thetrunnions are positioned with relation to the ears 9 and hooks 16 toequalize the weight applied to the several strands of cable extendingfrom the hooks 16 with that applied to the single strand extendingthrough the ears 9, and for this purpose the brackets, and particularlythe trunnions, are closer to the hooks than to the ears.

I prefer to taper each opening 11 in both directions, and particularlyto provide downwardly and inwardly curved upper walls 26 and oppositelycurved lower walls 27 merging with the arcuate seat 15 in the segment13; and may similarly form the recesses of the hooks, to provide curvedbearing surfaces for the bends of the cable.

In applying the device on a number of cables for supporting acounterweight 4:, as shown in Fig. 1, the cables are looped over thehooks 16 so that a double strand extends over the sheave from each ofthe hooks. A strand is threaded through the ears 9 and guide segment 13beneath the body plate so that the two spaced single strands extendingfrom the ears over the sheave are spaced inwardly from the strandsconnected to the hooks, for spaced operation over the sheave wheel.

Since four strands connect with the hooks 16 at one end of the couplingas compared with two strands connecting with the ears 9 at the oppositeend thereof, a two-to-one ratio is established at a center between thehooks and ears, and in overcoming this variance the trunnions are spacedaway from the ears in a horizontal plane a distance double their spacingfrom the hooks, and thus a one-to-one balance is established in thecoupling.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A weight-supporting coupling comprising in combination with a cableadapted to be looped to form a plurality of strands, a body memberhaving a strand-receiving seat at one end and spaced strand-receivinghooks at the other end each adapted to engage one of the loops of thecable.

2. A weight-supporting coupling comprising a body member havingstrand-receiving seats at one end and strand-receiving hooks at theother end, and a bracket element depending from the body member havingmeans for engaging a weight.

3. A weight-supporting coupling comprising a body member havingstrand-receiving seats at one end and parallel strand-receiving hooks atthe other end, and a bracket element depending from the body memberhaving weight-receiving trunnions.

4:. A weight-supporting coupling comprising a body member havingstrand-receiving seats at one end and parallel strand-receiving hooks atthe other end, and a bracket element depending from the body memberhaving weight-receiving trunnions adjacent the vertical plane of thehooks.

5. In a weight-supporting coupling, a body plate having strand-receivingslots adj acent one end, a depending segment having a groove connectedwith said slots, and strand-receiving hooks on the other end.

6. In a weight-supporting coupling, a body plate having oppositelydirected strand-receiving slots adjacent one end and a depending segmenthaving a semi-circular strand seat connected with saidslots, andstrand-receiving hooks on the other end of the body plate.

7. In a weight-supporting coupling, a body plate having oppositelydirected strand-receiving slots adjacent one end and 95 a dependingsegment having a semi-circular groove connected with said slots, strandreceiving hooks on the other end of the body plate, and a bracketdepending from the plate having trunnions adjacent the vertical plane ofthe hooks.

8. In combination with the cables of a counterbalance device, a couplinghaving spaced upstanding ears adjacent one end provided with openingsfor threading a strand of cable therethrough, and spaced hooks adjacentthe other end to receive bends of the cable.

9. In combination with the cables of a counterbalance device, a couplinghaving spaced upstanding ears adjacent one end provided with openingsfor threading a strand of cable therethrough, spaced hooks adjacent theother end to receive bends of the cable, and weight-engaging meanspositioned to equalize the weights on the strands and the members of thebends.

10.'A weight-supporting coupling comprising a body member having alignedtransverse slots adjacent one end and a depending boss provided with aperipheral groove connecting said slots, upstanding ears on the bodymember having taper transverse openings, paired webs spaced by saidslots and providing guides for cables extending through the openings ofthe ears, and hook members on the opposite end of the body member.

11. A weight-supporting coupling comprising a body member havingupstanding ears on one end provided with transverse adjacent one end,hook members on the opopenings, and hook elements on the opposite positeend, and web elements on the upper end of the body member havingdownwardly face of the body member reenforcing said 10 extending hookmembers spaced from the hooks. 5 end of the body member. In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature.

12. A weight-supporting coupling comprising a ho y member having strandseats HAROLD L. CRULL.

